Program areas at Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County
The Foster Children's Project - The Children Advocacy represents children from birth to age 12 and their siblings who are placed in licensed custody of the State of Florida. Following appointment by the Juvenile Court, Foster Children's Project attorneys represent children in all court and administrative proceedings to keep them safe from abuse and neglect and to ensure that they reach permanent placement either with their biological parents or adoptive parents within a 12-month timeframe. During FY 2021-2022, Foster Children's Project attorneys represented 476 clients in foster care.
The Elder Law Project - Elder Advocacy provides legal advice, consultation, education and representation to economically and socially disadvantaged seniors (55+) in the areas of elderly abuse and exploitation, housing law, real property law, consumer law, guardianship matters, family law, and government benefits (Social Security, Supplemental Security Income [SSI] Medicare and Medicaid). In FY 2021-2022, Legal Aid's Elder Law Project staff served 1,791 socially and economically disadvantaged seniors in our community.
The Fair Housing Project - The Individual Rights Advocacy project provides community outreach, education, advocacy and enforcement activities with regard to fair housing laws to ensure that no one in Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, Hendry and St. Lucie counties is denied housing on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or gender identity and expression. In addition to representing victims of fair housing discrimination, the Fair Housing Project also represents tenants facing eviction to ensure their rights provided under the Florida Landlord Tenant Act are enforced. In FY 2021-22, Legal Aid's Fair Housing Project staff served 1,875 clients.
The Domestic Violence Project provides survivors of abuse with legal advice, consultation, and assistance in filing injunctions for protection (restraining orders) and legal representation at hearings on injunctions for protection. The Project strives to ensure that clients are protected from further violence while also promoting stability by establishing parenting plans and securing financial support for survivors as appropriate. To further promote stability, The Domestic Violence Project provides holistic legal services including assistance in related family law matters. The Project not only assists in navigating the legal system but provides referrals to community resources to help survivors access personalized safety planning, support groups, transitional housing and financial resources. The Domestic Violence Project served 1,960 clients in FY 2021-2022.
During FY 2021-2022 other legal counseling services were provided to 4,719 individual.